Baby chair-bed



March 15, 1960 M. D. WELSH BABY CHAIR-BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April24, 1958 INVENTOR.

MATILDA D. WELSH a4, MZQM ATTORNEYS March 15, 1960 M. D. WELSH 2,928,457

BABY CHAIR-BED Filed April 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '------"-"127 "-9137 4o Frai- 45 a, 5| 6 1| a I'll E r: w

FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

MATI LDA .D. WELSH CJM, WM

ATTQRNEYS United s r s Pa en .0

2,928,457 BABY CHAIR-BED Matilda D. Welsh, Ladue, Mo. 7

Application April 24, 1958, Serial No. 730,625

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-45) This invention relates generally to improvementsin a baby chair-bed, and more particularly to improved mechanism forselectively converting the device to either a chair or a bed. Animportant object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that enablesthe hinged body-supporting members to be moved selectively and easily toeither a folded chair position or to an extended bed position, and whicheffectively supports and retains the members in those positions.

Another important object is achieved by the provision of hangerspivotally connected to spaced side panels and to the body-supportingmeans disposed between the side panels, the hangers being adaptedselectively to move and to retain the body-supporting means in eitherthe folded chair or extended bed position.

Still another important object is realized by the provision of a hangerin the assembly previously discussed which is located in a substantiallyvertical plane substantially immediately below the hinge axis of theseat and back members comprising the body-supporting means when suchmembers are extended to the bed position so as to provide a more rigidsupport.

Yet another important object is realized by the provision of a secondhanger in the aforesaid assembly which is located in a substantiallyhorizontal plane when the body members are extended to the bed positionso as to preclude unintentional movement of the first hanger from thevertical plane and to prevent unintentional collapse of thebody-supporting members.

Other important advantages are realized by the provi-,

sion of inturned shoulders on the hangers at the pivotal connection ofsuch hangers to the side panels, the inturned shoulders supporting thebody-supporting members in the adjusted, folded or extended positions.

Another important object is to provide an item of the type describedwhich is of simple durable construction, economical to manufacture andassemble, efficient in operation, and which is quickly and easilyconverted to either a chair or a bed.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the inventionwill more clearly appear from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment,

particularly when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the baby chair-bed showing the deviceconverted to a chair;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in cross section, of

the chair assembly as seen along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a side panel as seenalong line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the ba'bychair-bed illus trating thedevice in the converted bed position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view partly in cross section,of

the bed assembly as seen along line 5 -5 of Fig. 4', the hanger'beingshown in dashed and full lines together with indicating arrows to showthe different positions assumed ice converting the device to chair orbed, and

' Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the hardware interconnecting the sidepanels and supporting the back and seat members.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, and first toFig. 1, it is seen that the baby chair-bed includes spaced side panels10 and 11 arranged in vertical parallel relation. Disposed betweenpanels 10 and 11 is a body-supporting mfeans generally indicated at 12that includes a back-rest member 13 and a seat member 14 hinged togetherby a pair of hinges 15. It is seen that the hinge axis 16 (Fig.2)provided by hinges ex- The side panels 10 and 11 are constructed asshown in Fig. 3. A board 17 of relatively stilr rigid material iscovered on the inner side with a relatively soft cushion layer 20adapted to protect the child when placed on the body-supporting means 12between the panels 10-11. A cover 21 is placed over the cushion layer 20and rigid board 17. Preferably, the cover 21 is of a washable plasticmaterial, and may have decorative features which improve the aestheticappearance of the article.

The back and seat members 1314 are similarly constructed andupholstered. As best seen in Fig. 2, the back member 13 is formed of arigid board 22 on which a layer 23 of soft resilient'material isattached. Similarly, the seat member 14 is formed of a rigid board 24 onwhich a layer 25 of soft resilient cushion material is attached. A cover26 is'disposed over the cushion layers 23 and 25 of back member 13 andseat member 14 respectively, the cover 26 being' held in position by endpockets 27 and '30 fitted over the outer ends of back member 13 and seatmember 14 respectively.

A seat belt 31 (Fig. l) is attached to the back member 13, and isutilized as a safety precaution to hold the child in place on thebody-supporting means 12.

Located at the rear end (left hand side in Figs. 2 and 5) of the deviceis a U-shaped bracket 32 that is located between and attached to sidepanels 1011. Supported by and bridging the upper ends of U-shapedbracket 32 is a bar 33 upon which the back member 13 seats when thebody-supporting means 12 is extended to the bed position as illustratedin Fig. 5.

Another bar 34 located. forwardly of support bar 33 extends between andis attached to the side panels 10-11. As is illustrated in Fig. 2, thebar 34 serves to support and position the back member 13 when thebody-supporting means 12 is folded to the chair position.

A U-shaped bracket 35 is disposed between and attached to the sidepanels 1011. Pivotally attached to the upper ends of bracket 35 and topanels 10-11 is a U-shaped hanger 36. The intermediate portion 37 ofhanger 36 is pivotally attached to seat member 14 by a pair ofconnectors 40. It will be particularly noted that the pivot axisprovided by hanger portion 37 is located substantially immediately belowand parallel to the transverse hinge axis. 16.

' Perhaps as best seen in Fig. 6, the hanger 36 is provided withshoulder portions 41 extending inwardly from the pivot connection of thehanger 36 with the bracket 35 and side panels 1011, the shoulders 41serving to seat and support the seat member 14 when such member 14 isdisposed in the folded chair position illustrated in Fig. 2.

' Located at the forward end (right hand side of Fig. and Fig. 5) of thebaby chair-bed is a U-shaped bracket" otally connected to the upper endsof bracket 42 and to side panels 10- 11. The intermediate hanger portion44 is pivbtally connected by a pair of connectors 45 to the 7 seatmember 14.

The hanger 43 is provided with shoulders 46 extending inwardly from thepivot connection with the brackets 42 and side panels, the shoulders 46semi" to en a e and support the seat member 14 when the sen member;

so that access is had to the handles47. The handles 47 maybeconveniently iitilized to lift the device fortransp r from nepla eto anqh It will beparticularly noted that the pivotconnection 50 (Fig. ofhang'er43is located above the .pivot connection 51 of hanger 36, and ispreferably located in substantially the same horizontal plane with thepivot axis provided by hanger portion 37 when the body-supporting means12 is extended to the bed position.

When the body-supporting means 12 is folded to the chair position shownin Fig. 2, the hangers 36 and 43 assume the inclined positionillustrated, the hangers 36--'43 being aligned in the same plane. Inthis chair position, the seat member 14 engages and seats on the hangershoulders 41 and 46. The back member 13 ll. gages and seats on thesupport bar 34.

If it is desired to conver't'the device to a bed as illustrated inFigs'.'4 and 5, the body-supporting means 12 is moved to the bedposition as permitted by hangers 36 and 43. As best illustrated in Fig.5,; the hanger- 36 tween said panels including a back-rest member andseat member hinged together along'an axis extending transversely of saidpanels so that the members can be selectively'extended to a bed positionand folded to a chair position, a first U-shaped hanger pivotallysecured to said side panels and pivotally connected to said seat memberalong a pivot axis extendingbelow and parallel to the transverse hingeaxis and in the same vertical plane, said first hanger extendingsubstantially vertical when said members are hingedly extended as thebed position, a

second U-shaped hanger pivotally connected to said side panels above thepivot connection of the first said hanger Y to said side anels, thesecond hangerbeing pivotally connected tosaid seat member along an-axisparallel to said hinge axis, the pivot connection of said second hangerto said side panels being in'a substantially horizontal plane with thepivot connectionof said first hanger a to said seat-membeiflwhen themembers are disposed in moves from the position shown in dotted linesupwardly V to the vertical position shown in full lines. The hanger 43moved from the position shown in dotted lines up-. wardly and downwardlyto the horizontal position shown in full lines.

In the bed position of the body-supportingmeans 12, the hanger 36 isdisposed in a vertical plane immediately below and aligned withtransverse hinge axis 16', thus supporting the back and seat members1314 at their hinge 43 upwardly and rearwardly. However, it is seen thatthis action cannot be accomplished unintentionally as long as a weightis disposed on and supported by seatmember 14.

As suggested prev1ously, if it is desired to convert the body-supportingmeans 12 from the bed position-shown in Fig. 5 to the folded chairposition showninFig. 2, the seat member 14 is lifted and movedre'arwa'rdly as permitted by hanger 43. Simultaneously, the back andseatmembers 13-44 are foldedabout the hinge axis 16 and are moved to theinclined position shown in} Fig. 21 Upon converting'the bodysuppoi'tin'g means to th'chldir pest tion, the hangers- 36 -43 move fromthe positions shown in fulllines in Fig; 5, to the positions strewn indotted lines in Fig. 5 or in full lines in Fig; 2'; I.

v Although the invention has been described by detailed reference to'&single preferred embodiment, such detail is to be understood in aninstructive, rather than within the seopeflef the claims hereunderappended; I, claim as'myinv'e'ritioni 1-. A baby chair-bedcomprisisg'sia'aariis; hear iii-'. terconnec'ting' saidl panels formaintainingthe panelsn in spaced relation;"a eody-sri penieg meaas he;

angthe bed position, the @said second, hanger being disposedhorizontally when the friembers are hingedly extended to the bedposition to preclude unintentional folding about the hinge, axis, andmeans attached to said side panels supporting said members in each 'ofsaid bed and chair,

positions. 3 V

2 Abab'y chair-bed comprising side panels,.means ih'terconnect'ing saidpanel for maintaining .the panels in spiced relation, a body-supportingmeans disposed be tween said panelsincluding a backrest member and a"afis erser efi aia panels that u the rne'mbers- ,can be selectivelyextendedto a bed position and. folded to a chair ,positiongja firsthanger meafis pi bmny secured to,

said side panels and pivotallyl c'onnected to said seat memher along apivot axis extending parallel to the transverse hinge axis'gsaid firsthanger means extending substatially v rticnwhe said t'n'er'nbers arehingedly extended tothebed position, asecondhangefr' means pivotallyconnected to said: side panels above the pivot connection of thefirstlianger' means to said side panels, the second hinger'in'eansbeingpivotally connected to said seat memher along ,an axis, parallelt'ofsaid hinge axls, the pivot connectionof said second hanger means tosaid side panels being in a substantially,horizontal plane withthe pivotcon'nectionof said first hanger r'nea'nslto s'aidseatmem tier when themembers are disposed in the bed position, the said second hanger' meansbeing disposed horizontally when the members arehingedly extended to,the bed position to preclude"unintentioiialflfolding about the hingechair position, a first hanger pivotally secured to each side panel andpivotally conn'ectedto onelof said membersalong axis antially verticallyb'elow and parallelto the transver hinge axisfor movingthe body-Supporting me second hanger being disposed horizontally when said Imembers are-extendeet the he'd position so as to preeludepnintentioiial"folding? about said hinge, axis, the pivotconnection' ofsaid second-hanger to said side panels being locatejdiaboiiesaid'pivot'fconnection" of the first said hanger to: said side-panels,and being-located substantially in the sarne horizontal'plane with thepivotv connection of a fi st hanser. w h. theb d -sup o n m m wh thefirst hanger is located in substantially vertical relaseat memser.hinged together al'ong anfaxis extending,

a sfto sal bed and chair positions, said] first liangerextending' sublqfitially vertical when in said e fi t gt to 'id'es pporjt i e y atthehinge tion, and means attached to said side panels for supporting thebody-supporting means in bed and chair positions.

4. 'A baby chair-bed comprising side panels, means interconnecting saidpanels for maintaining the panels in spaced relation, a body-supportingmeans disposed between said panels including a back-rest member and aseat member hinged together along an axis extending transversely of saidpanels so that the said members can be selectively extended to a bedposition or folded to a chair position, a first hanger of substantiallyU-shape having outer ends pivotally attached to the side panels andhaving web portions pivotally attached to one of said members along anaxis substantially vertically below and parallel to the transverse hingeaxis for moving the body-supporting means to said bed and chairpositions, said first hanger extending substantially vertical when insaid bed position so as to provide support directly at the hinge axis, asecond hanger of substantially U-shape having outer ends pivotallysecured to the side panels and having a web portion pivotally connectedto 20 one of said members along an axis extending parallel to saidtransverse hinge axis, said second hanger being disposed horizontallywhen said members are extended to the bed position so as to precludeunintentional folding about said hinge axis, said hangers includinginwardly extending portions at the pivot connections to said side panelsengaging the underside of said body-supporting means to support themeans in the folded chair position and in the extended bed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,789,337 Knabusch et a1. Jan. 20, 1931 2,279,286 Bell Apr. 7, 19422,281,085 Bell Apr. 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 168,686 Great Britain Sept.12, 1921 472,519 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1937 1,128,028 France Aug. 20,1956

